With broadband prices tumbling, millions of customers are languishing in out-of-date deals that represent poor value for money. The average broadband price is now £15 a month. If you are paying more than that for a 2Mb connection, you are paying too much.

Once your contract has expired, switching provider should be straightforward. The provider you want to move to will ask for a migration authorisation code (Mac), which your current company should supply on request. With this code there should be no interruption to your connection, but thousands of customers have encountered problems. Many have had requests for Mac codes ignored — in some cases repeatedly — by a number of big-name companies.

This week Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, brought in new rules to clamp down on these complacent companies. The rules penalise all who fail to hand over a Mac code free on request or otherwise obstruct customers who want to move. Claudio Pollack, of Ofcom, says: “These new rules are intended to ensure that switching is a quick and easy process for all.”

But Karen Darby, of the price comparison website Simplyswitch.com, is concerned that the regulator has failed to help customers trapped in long contracts. She says: “In the energy market, if customers feels that they are paying too much or receiving poor service, they can leave their provider at any time. It would be healthy for the telecoms market if a similar practice was put in place.”

Meanwhile, Steve Weller, of uSwitch, another price comparison website, is not convinced that the regulations address the cause of many switching problems. He says that glitches tend to arise when customers try to switch between so-called local loop unbundled (LLU) and IPStream networks — a scenario that providers find technically difficult. He says: “The new rules fail to go under the skin of the Mac code and to address, let alone resolve, the true issues.”

Someone who welcomes the rules is Mark Kowalski, of Queensway, West London, a 32-year-old architect who needs broadband to work from home outside office hours. Mr Kowalski and his flatmates decided to switch to BT after four months with no connection with Wanadoo, now Orange Broadband.

The company agreed to terminate the flatmates’ £20-a-month one-year contract after Mr Kowalski complained to Ofcom, but Wanadoo twice failed to supply a Mac code. In desperation, he asked BT to sidestep the Mac procedure and clear the line — a process that left him with no connection for five days and can take up to thirty days.

Mr Kowalski says: “We were refunded in the end, but we are talking months of phone-calls and no explanation. It was pure luck that clearing the line didn’t take longer.”

Kevin Ellis, who founded orangeproblems.co.uk after months of strife with the provider, operates an internet forum for disgruntled Orange customers. He says that the kind of problems that Mr Kowalski experienced remains commonplace, with 50p-a-minute calls to technical support lines par for the course.

One visitor to the Orange Problems website is Paul Pasquat, of Spreyton, Devon, who contacted Orange 63 times to report various connection problems. He applied three times for a Mac code and each time the operator assured him that a code would be sent. No code arrived. Mr Pasquat says: “They are polite and useless.”

Under pressure from The Times, Orange has agreed to investigate both cases. The firm has now sent Mr Pasquat a Mac code and apologised for “any inconvenience”. It blamed the three failed requests for the Mac code on “a clerical error”.

All customers who are not given a Mac code are urged to contact Ofcom (www.ofcom. org.uk). Simon Bates, of Ofcom, says: “The rules are there for a reason, not show. One complaint is enough to trigger an investigation.”

Mr Bates advises all customers who are having more general broadband problems to go through the provider’s own complaints procedure. If that fails, customers should demand to be put in touch with the provider’s alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Despite the horror stories, Mr Weller is adamant that customers should press ahead and switch. Certainly, Mr Kowalski says that moving was well worth the frustration. “Now my connection is perfect,” he says. “I haven’t had to contact BT customer services once.”

Make the break

If you have been paying one rate for broadband for a year or more, you should look to switch to a better deal. “The chances are that you are spending silly money on a slow connection,” says Steve Weller, of uSwitch.com.

Once your contract ends, contact your provider and ask to transfer to a cheaper price plan. In many cases, threats to switch will secure a decent rate. Compare any offers with alternative deals on comparison websites.

For speed, price and service, uSwitch currently recommends Plus Net and Pipex. Both offer an 8Mb connection for £14.99 a month. Another cheap deal is Be Lite’s 24Mb connection for £14, available only to residents of London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Once you have picked a deal, contact the provider you intend to switch to. The company will talk you through the process and should connect you within 30 days of receipt of a migration authorisation code.

If your current provider obstructs the move, complain, contact Ofcom and let us know at timesonline.co.uk/ moneyweblog. A number of firms now offer packages that bundle broadband with home telephone and television plans. These can offer good value, especially if you are not content with Freeview and want access to digital pay channels. Note, however, that some bundles offer cable broadband, which is not regulated by the mainstream Mac process.